SPRIZ Background
The establishment of SPRIZ can be traced to the spill over effect of the Zimbabwean economic and political crisis that led to the relocation of several tobacco commercial farmers to the Southern Province of Zambia. On arrival, the farmers from Zimbabwe established large tobacco farms in rural and sparsely populated areas of Choma and Kalomo districts where they also established out grower schemes. Concerned with the high number of children from poor rural households who were pushed to work in hazardous conditions in family and commercial tobacco farms in order to supplement family income, a group of Zambians with experience in advocacy and social development convened a stakeholders’ consultative meeting in Lusaka in 2010 and resolved to establish an organisation to contribute towards the elimination of child labour and poverty in Southern Province. SPRIZ was later registered in 2012 and has since been operating with financial contributions from the Board.

Registration Status
Support for Poverty Reduction in Zambia (SPRIZ) is a local Non-Governmental Organisation founded in 2010 and legally registered under the Society’s Act registration number ORS/102/35/4591 of 3^rd January 2012. The organisation is currently in good standing with the relevant statutory obligations that govern its registration.

Mission Statement
To empower communities with skills and frontline services that foster the reduction of poverty within their communities through advocacy, capacity building and service delivery.

Vision
SPRIZ envisages a poverty free Zambia where all people are actively participating in the socio- economic development of the country and have access to quality basic services.

Governance
SPRIZ has a very credible Board which plays an oversight role to the SPRIZ management. The supreme powers for SPRIZ’s are vested in the Advisory Board which is composed of nine members. The Advisory Board, whose members are elected from people of high standing in Zambia, are responsible for providing overall policy guidelines, initiating new policies and reviewing existing ones. In addition, they are also responsible for approving the strategic plan, annual and quarterly reports and budgets; appointing external auditors; appraising the performance of the National coordinator; and determining the establishment and conditions of service of SPRIZ staff. All Board members are work on voluntary basis in line with their constitutional mandate. The top four board members form the executive committee which is responsible for the day to day supervision of the National Coordinator.